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Most media seem to be taken in by the spin and/or the spam from Falun Gong devotees. A recent example can be seen within the Jewish publication the “Forward.” Correspondent Benjamin Soskis laments that “religious groups offer little support to Chinese sect.”

But had Soskis spent more time on hard research and less on politically correct hand wringing, he would have found that Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi, is both a megalomaniac and a bigot.

Sarah Lubman of the San Jose Mercury News did her homework and actually read Mr. Hongzhi1s racist rants. Li says that “mixed-race people…[are] instruments of an alien plot to destroy humanity1s link to heaven.” And that these interracial unions are somehow part of “a plot by…evil extraterrestrials.” Hongzhi appears to be homophobic too when he calls gays “disgusting,” and prophesizes that one day they will be “eliminated” by “the gods.”

Much of Hongzhi1s writings seem paranoid and ramble on about beings from outer space who are “embedding their technology and science in human bodies” so they can “control” humanity through “their thoughts.” This is a little like L. Ron Hubbard1s theories, which form the basis for Scientology.

Washington Post reporter Peter Carlson, like Lubman looked beyond the group1s rhetoric. He discovered that the followers of “Master Li” believe not only that he can “personally install” falun (a wheel of law) in their abdomens, but he can “levitate,””become invisible” and knows the “top secret of the Universe.”

Canadian reporter Brian Hutchinson of the National Post, found that Falun Gong is based upon the “idea that life on Earth is doomed, that it is rotting and that it needs to be ‘rectified1 in order to proceed to the next stage of existence.” And “Master Li…has succeeded in preventing the cosmos from decomposing altogether, as other ‘higher beings1 were willing to allow.”

Hongzhi has also made this sweeping claim, “What I do today is for the purpose of rectifying humankind and the substances of the entire Earth.” This statement appears to match the hubris of Rev. Moon, founder of the Unification Church, who says he is the messiah.

Hongzhi eerily parallels the claims made by Marshall Applewhite of “Heaven1s Gate”? Like Li, Applewhite believed he was on a mission to fight against evil planetary forces. Just like Applewhite, Hongzhi sees himself in a singular and pivotal role. And he warns, “Not acknowledging the Master in the human world is not acknowledging oneself as a disciple.”

Yes, Mr. Soskis might have done a little bit more research, and then he would have better understood why, as one Jewish leader he quoted observed, “It1s hard to get [Jewish groups] to speak out on behalf of Falun Gong,”